//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 : Childhood memories // Story: A family divided, a secret revealed // by Altia Sky //------------------------------// Many pegasus had attended flight school with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, but remembering their names was much more complicated. However, Rainbow remembered that someone she knew had attended flight school with her, and that her family was originally from Cloudsdale, so her parents must have attended flight school. She now knew who to talk to, or at least who to go to, to meet the pony who could give her some answers. The next day, Rainbow went to Wonderbolts HQ, a place high up in the clouds that served as the air unit's base, where the Wonderbolts academy was located as well as the unit's living quarters. Now that she was a Wonderbolt herself, Rainbow could speak to many of them, many of them Cloudsdale natives, and she knew the Wonderbolt whose parent was a Cloudsdale Pegasus who had surely attended the flight school. Spitfire was none other than the captain of the Wonderbolts. Rainbow had come across her mother in rather disastrous circumstances during the Spitfire disappearance affair, which had involved Rarity's help as well as a rather famous Wonderbolt, Wind Rider. Rainbow Dash was determined to get to the bottom of it, and set about finding out the truth. After being in Ponyville, Rainbow was racking his brains trying to make sense of the situation. Why all the secrecy? Something wasn't right. Rainbow was known to have a rather direct temperament and she naively thought she'd ask her parents directly, so she flew to Cloudsdale again. "Another day my champion, we're busy with your father" replied Windy. Bow nodded silently in agreement. Rainbow Dash was shocked; it was the first time her parents had spoken to her like that, but more importantly, had turned their backs on her. From an early age, Rainbow Dash had always been supported by her parents, sometimes to the extreme. So much so that as she grew older, she found it more and more embarrassing. Until one day, it became a subject of violent dispute between her and her parents. After several explanations, it was resolved, and even then her parents weren't angry with her. So why? This indifference and coldness wasn't normal, and Rainbow had an unpleasant feeling. She preferred to leave, seeing that it would lead nowhere. Fluttershy knew Rainbow Dash's parents well, and she herself was shocked by Dash's account of the events. The two Pegasus' suspicions were confirmed, and for the first time Fluttershy noticed that Rainbow Dash was staring into the void, with a feeling that was unusual for her: incomprehension but also fear, fear of the unknown. A Wonderbolt show was due to take place soon, and of course the Wonderbolts' friends and family were going to attend. The crowd gathered in the bleachers on the edge of the cliff, while in the sky the Wonderbolts performed a series of aerial tricks. A huge, well-orchestrated choreography rehearsed over several days by the Wonderbolts, with sound and light effects, because the fireworks incident last time had given the Wonderbolts ideas for evolving their show. Rainbow Dash took advantage of the quiet moments in the choreography to scan the stands, quickly spotting Stormy Flair, Spitfire's mother. However, something disturbed her: her own parents weren't there, as they usually came to see all the Wonderbolts shows and sometimes came to the training sessions (discreetly most of the time). Rainbow Dash was finally relieved not to see them, because with them around, questioning Stormy Flair would have been tense. The show ended with a final figure followed by fireworks in the background. Rainbow Dash spotted Stormy Flair waiting outside the Wonderbolts dressing room, and took the opportunity not to go into the dressing room like all her colleagues, preferring instead to go straight to Stormy Flair. "Hello, have you come to see Spitfire?" said Rainbow Dash as she landed next to Stormy Flair. "Indeed, she had told me about a new show with fireworks so I came to see" replied Stormy Flair. "Excuse me, I haven't introduced myself I'm Rainbow Dash" said Rainbow Dash. "Yes, I remember you, how could I forget you after that affair isn't it" replied Stormy Flair with a slight laugh. "Yes, indeed" replied Rainbow Dash embarrassed. Rainbow Dahs knew it was time to attack, but not in a direct way, trying to bring up the subject delicately. "Spitfire's good, though, running the Wonderbolts and organizing the shows, all the while flying perfectly," Rainbow Dash resumed. "Yes, she's always been good at flying as a gift" replied Stormy Flair. "And were you good at flying?" said Rainbow Dash. "Me? Not as good as my daughter, no. I've mastered the basics like any Pegasus, but not enough to join the Wonderbolts" replied Stormy Flair, laughing. "I always knew that one day I'd join the Wonderbolts, but did you know what you wanted to do?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Let's just say I didn't really know, in fact it came rather late and as in flight school I wasn't as gifted as others it took me a while" replied Stormy Flair. "Gifted as others? What others?" asked Rainbow Dash. "How every year some pegasus at school stood out more than others, when I was there I remember one very gifted pegasus for his age he was younger than me" replied Stormy Flair. "Like Bow Hothoof?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Yes" exclaimed Stormy Flair with shining eyes "it's coming back to me he was called that, you could say he was very gifted a real outstanding pilot for his age". Rainbow Dash wanted information, but in order not to arouse suspicion, preferred not to mention that Bow was her father. She'd succeeded in getting the discussion where she wanted it, the aim now was to get information. "And there were others?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Now that you mention it, it suddenly comes back to me, that year, the four prodigies as they were called." replied Stormy Flair. "Four prodigies?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Yes, the four best Pegasus in the school - quite a team, plus they were friends and the same age. We old-timers were rather offended to see youngsters strutting their stuff like that, but we have to be honest, they were very talented." replied Stormy Flair. "Who were the other three?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I don't remember the names at all but I think there was Bow Hothoof's marefriend, I think they even got married when they became adults, I think it was fate that brought them together. I remember two other pegasus, a boy and a girl, I think they were also in love, but I don't remember their names". "What was Bow's marefriend like?" asked Rainbow Dash, afraid to hear the physical description of any pony other than his mother. "She had a red mane I think and vermillion red eyes that I'm pretty sure of because we'd flown together during some classes and it made an impression on me at the time" replied Stormy Flair. "And the other two?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Honestly, my memories are hazy but I do remember one thing, because already talking about it has brought back memories, but I clearly remember one day in particular when there had been some kind of argument between the two stallions on Team, Bow and the other pony. What they was arguing about I can't remember" said Stormy Flair. "What happened?" asked Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was concentrating on Stormy Flair's story, looking for the slightest clue to identify these two mystery ponies, she was burning with the desire to whisper the name of her mother Windy to Stormy Flair but avoided doing so in order not to arouse too much suspicion. "Like I said, I don't remember, I couldn't hear what was being said, but the two sounded like they were talking about Bow's marefriend" said Stormy Flair. "Maybe it was a lover's quarrel?" replied Rainbow Dash, a little annoyed that a pony would come between his mother and father, but if that was a long time ago. "Ah no that's not possible" said Stormy Flair in a very confident tone. "Why's that?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Because the pony who got between Bow and his marefriend was the marefriend's brother, so in my opinion, he didn't like seeing his sister with Bow" replied Stormy Flair. Rainbow Dash wasn't saying anything, she was in shock, lost, and looking at Stormy Flair in a daze with big round eyes. She began to open her mouth, but just then another voice was heard. "Mum thanks for coming, hi Crash" said Spitfire coming out of the changing room. "Spitfire you're here, excuse us Rainbow Dash but we've got to go, thanks for talking with me it was nice" Spitfire and Stormy Flair took off. Rainbow Dash was stunned, if she had understood everything correctly, her father's girlfriend, who was Windy as Fluttershy's parents had told her, had a brother. Rainbow Dash had just realized that she had an uncle, but how could this be? Above all, she knew nothing about him or who he was. In fact, her parents had never told her about him. Neither her father nor her mother. Rainbow Dash was questioning her life, especially her childhood and, above all, her parents: how could they have hidden such an important detail from her? She was asking herself thousands of questions on the way home. She didn't bother to eat and preferred to go to bed, not knowing what to think of all this, preferring to calm down and clear her mind before plunging into the dreams of sleep.